MBTA Ashmont - Mattapan Line: Traction Volume One(2023)

1917, The Train from Hell(fr)

1917, The Train from Hell is an historical documentary about a train accident during WW1.

Quintinshill: Britain's Deadliest Rail Disaster(en)

Neil Oliver describes the worst ever railway accident in the UK, which happened a hundred years ago on 22 May 1915, in which three trains collided at Quintinshill near Gretna Green. One of the trains was a troop train taking soldiers to fight in World War I at the Battle of Gallipoli: many of the dead were in this train which caught fire due to escaped gas from the archaic gas lighting in the carriages. The cause of the crash was attributed to a catastrophic signalman's error, but Neil examines whether there were other contributory factors and whether there was a cover-up to prevent investigation of them, making convenient scapegoats of the signalmen.

The End Of The Line: Rochester's Subway(en)

"The End of the Line - Rochester's Subway" tells the little-known story of the rail line that operated in a former section of the Erie Canal from 1927 until its abandonment in 1956. Produced in 1994 by filmmakers Fredrick Armstrong and James P. Harte, the forty-five minute documentary recounts the tale of an American city's bumpy ride through the Twentieth Century, from the perspective of a little engine that could, but didn't. The film has since been rereleased (2005) and now contains the main feature with special portions that were added as part of the rereleased version. These include a look at the only surviving subway car from the lines and a Phantom tun through the tunnels in their abandoned state, among others, for a total of 90 minutes of unique and well preserved historical information.

Railroaders(en)

A film about winter railroading in the Canadian Rockies and the men who keep the lines clear. The stretch between Revelstoke and Field, British Columbia, is a snow-choked threat to communications. The film shows the work of section hands, maintenance men, train crews and telegraph operators.

Engineering Tragedy: The Ashtabula Train Disaster(en)

The Ashtabula train disaster and bridge collapse was the worst train disaster of the 19th century, claiming the lives of 97 people. The engineering and structural failures that caused the collapse of a bridge that stood for over a decade, also took down the most luxurious train of the day, “The Pacific Express #5.” The accident happened in Ashtabula, Ohio on December 29, 1876 during a raging blizzard, sending the luxury train crashing 70-feet into a river gorge and costing the lives of 97 people. The disaster shocked the nation, yet it’s a story that’s been lost in the pages of history. In a strange twist of fate and intrigue, the bridge disaster also became the backdrop to the still unsolved murder of Charles Collins, the railroad’s chief engineer. It also contributed to the eventual suicide of millionaire Amasa Stone, the president of the railroad and the designer and builder of the bridge.

Depot Asmara(en)

A film that excavates layers of myth and memory, on an ancient Eritrean steam railway, to learn the elusive truth about Eritrea, its war-ridden history, and at the core of it all, a deep friendship that keeps it all going.

Canadian Pacific Heart Of the Rockies(en)

You'll be surrounded by stunning, snow-covered mountains on this trip from Field, British Columbia, to Exshaw, Alberta. Plus, take in the beauty of Morant's Curve.

Hear That Train a Comin'(en)

Meet the crew of the Union Pacific Challenger No. 3985, the largest and most powerful steam engine in the world. This colorful documentary is a behind-the-scenes look at the conductors, engineers and mechanics who keep this fickle train running, an engaging history of steam power, and a scenic tour the Great Plains -- from Cheyenne, Wyo., through Denver and across Nebraska to the Omaha headquarters of the Union Pacific.

Inlandsbanan: De som tog tåget(sv)

A journey along the Inlandsbanan, from Mora to Gällivare, in the last summer of 1991 when the passenger traffic is to be shut down. A decision and its consequences. A film about the view of Norrland in these EC times.

A Good Day to Die(fi)

Several films have been made about the lives of train hobos, but Aleksi Pohjavirta's A Good Day to Die is probably the first Finnish documentary on the subject. The film follows Billy, who travels in a pump on freight trains. In the way of life, the feeling of freedom and letting yourself be carried away by chance are attractive and they make the train bomb strive for a windy ride again and again.

Nevýnosná linka(cs)

Documentary film about the development of underdeveloped regions of the Czechoslovak Republic thanks to the expansion of the public transport network.

TGV, génie français du rail(fr)

Newspaper Train(en)

The story of how newspapers were distributed during the Blitz, stressing the importance of an accurate and objective press on the home front.

Fenway Park: The Golden Age(en)

This 100-year celebration has rare footage of Red Sox southpaw Babe Ruth, Jimmie Foxx and Lefty Grove. This superb documentary bridges the gap to Ted Williams, whose hitting heroics are captured in living color along with the history of Fenway Park itself, from Opening Day, 1912, through the "Impossible Dream" season of 1967.

Banlie.ue(fr)

Opening a New Frontier(en)

A documentary outlining the railroad's roll in expanding the nation.

Last of the Giants(en)

A Union Pacific production outlining the Big Boy locomotive and the history of the last great steam engine to rule the rails

A Railroad at Work(en)

A documentary on railroads doing their daily tasks created by trhe The Milwaukee Railroad

End of an Era(en)

A documentary on the passing of the steam locomotive as the primary means of transportation in the United States

A Great Railroad at Work(en)

A documentary outlining railroad work and the effects on the lives impacted by the iron horse